Monday night brings us further action from the Portuguese top flight as this weekend’s fixtures are wrapped up with this clash between Belenenses and Maritimo at the Estádio Nacional with both teams coming off a loss in last week’s opening games of the season.
Looking at Belenenses first and the hosts suffered a 2-0 loss away from home at Porto who incidentally had dished out a heavy 4-0 loss upon Belenenses on the final day of last season’s Primera Liga campaign.
Belenenses will be relieved that they don’t have to face them again for a while.
Overall results have seen Belenenses lose their last three games on the trot in the Primera Liga having also previously lost 2-0 at home to Santa Clara, but the hosts return to their Estádio Nacional for this upcoming clash against Maritimo, where the hosts have lost just three of their last 10 matches.
Prior to that loss against Santa Clara, Belenenses had picked up three wins on the trot with victories over Maritimo, Gil Vicente and Portimonense but it’s early days and both teams will be keen not to lose a second game on the trot.
Onto Maritimo and they also tasted defeat in last week’s season-opener in the Primera Liga, losing 2-0 at home to Sporting Braga, and recent results suggest that Maritimo may well be grateful for a point at Belenenses on Monday night.
The visitors have failed to win any of their last five matches overall in the Portuguese top flight, losing three and drawing twice, with losses incurred against Gil Vicente, Sporting Lisbon and Sporting Braga.
Maritimo have found league wins hard to come by in the domestic top flight as the visitors have gained just five wins out of their last 21 matches overall, with three of these five wins being recorded on home turf at their Estádio dos Barreiros.
Victories on their travels have also only been sporadic with Maritimo winning just four of their last 15 matches on the road with wins collected at Rio Ave, Gil Vicente, Nacional and Boavista, while also finding themselves on the losing side on nine occasions as well.
With both teams heading into this Monday night clash on the back of defeats, both teams may well settle for a point apiece here.